In the drilling and completion industry, the formation of boreholes for the purpose of production or injection of fluid is common. The boreholes are used for exploration or extraction of natural resources such as hydrocarbons, oil, gas, water, and alternatively for CO2 sequestration. Downhole production boreholes utilized in subterranean operations typically utilize casings disposed therein to protect the borehole from downhole pressures, chemical reactions and other conditions and prevent failures such as borehole collapse, burst, and tensile failures. Casings can also be used to define production zones in various portions of the borehole.
Cementing is a technique where cement slurry is used to secure various casing strings and/or liners in a well. Several factors may affect the performance of the cement in the borehole (or “wellbore”), including, but not limited to, length of the cement column in the borehole, formation pore pressure, formation fracture gradient and cement slurry density. It is often desirable to cement the casing into place by positioning cement into the annulus directly surrounding the casing by first pumping the cement down the casing and then into the annulus.
The art would be receptive to alternative devices and methods for cementing operations.